Before and after results of an Evolve Automotive tune on a VF-Engineering VF570 supercharged E46 M3 - +35 wheel horsepower

Before and after results of an Evolve Automotive tune on a VF-Engineering VF570 supercharged E46 M3 - +35 wheel horsepower

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Before and after results of an Evolve Automotive tune on a VF-Engineering VF570 supercharged E46 M3 - +35 wheel horsepower

Evolve get a good amount of business from customers running forced induction kits from tuners that compete with them. The cool thing about Evolve is that does not bother them as they will still tune it for you unlike many other tuners and it does not matter what platform it is or if it happens to be one they directly compete in. Evolve simply will do a custom tune just as someone asks and that is how it should be as in reality the hardware and engine belong to the owner of said car, right?

In SAE correction on a dynojet the VF570 kit put down a respectable 450 wheel horsepower at 9 psi with Evosport headers and an exhaust system. The issue with many of these supercharger kits is that they are a one size fits all but not call motors are equal. Break in, fuel, how it is driven, elevation, etc., all affect it. Apparently the default VF tune which comes with the kit on this particular car was running a bit too rich.

How rich? Well, apparently quite a bit on the rich side as look at those gains through the curve. It would be nice to see the air/fuel graph not blocked out but that might open up a can of worms and create friction between the two companies. Regardless, the owner said he is happy and that he now understand why the fuel tank would empty so quickly with the VF tune. Nice work by [email]Sal@evolve .

Even within our own company the skills required to make hardware and skills required to do the calibration are two totally different skill sets.

Hardware is more dealing with bracket design, if the plenum can hold the boost, pipe routing.

Then you have the skill of understanding the smaller details in the design, pressure drop vs temperature control in intercoolers, intake design, equal distribution of air across cylinders etc etc.

To make a basic supercharger kit is not at all difficult. You just need to make sure the hardware can handle the boost and do a half decent job at cooling.

Tuning is a completely different ball game altogether. Once the hardware is understood the tuning follows. The tuning for some is the really hard part. Basic essentials such as incorrect fuel calibration and valve overlap with boosted setups is badly misunderstood.
Too many cases of 'let the knock sensors sort the ignition out' and the '02 sensors sort the PT fuel out'.

I was just asking a genuin question your, jimmies seem to be rustled. But to answer your question I just figured developing a kit is more than just hardware and a one size fits all type of tune. To me part of developing a kit would also knowing how to properly tune an engine to operate at full efficiency.

I just answered it normally I think you misinterpreted my tone.

Some guys develop a kit and then try to get tuning later. VF does more hardware than tuning although they are improving in the tuning aspect now.

Even within our own company the skills required to make hardware and skills required to do the calibration are two totally different skill sets.

Hardware is more dealing with bracket design, if the plenum can hold the boost, pipe routing.

Then you have the skill of understanding the smaller details in the design, pressure drop vs temperature control in intercoolers, intake design, equal distribution of air across cylinders etc etc.

To make a basic supercharger kit is not at all difficult. You just need to make sure the hardware can handle the boost and do a half decent job at cooling.

Tuning is a completely different ball game altogether. Once the hardware is understood the tuning follows. The tuning for some is the really hard part. Basic essentials such as incorrect fuel calibration and valve overlap with boosted setups is badly misunderstood.
Too many cases of 'let the knock sensors sort the ignition out' and the '02 sensors sort the PT fuel out'.

FWIW, I was able to take a peak at what the VF570 tune on my car looked like. To VF's credit, I was told it was at least 'safe'. But overall the tune was sloppy. Adjusted fuel maps without setting correct injector sizes. Constant injector fueling even on overrun. Lambda learning turned off. Knock sensor desensitized. Some temp setting turned off the scale high so the car never would come out of cold start fueling map.

I appreciate their willingness to help, love their S54 hardware, but they clearly are limited in this area.

FWIW, I was able to take a peak at what the VF570 tune on my car looked like. To VF's credit, I was told it was at least 'safe'. But overall the tune was sloppy. Adjusted fuel maps without setting correct injector sizes. Constant injector fueling even on overrun. Lambda learning turned off. Knock sensor desensitized. Some temp setting turned off the scale high so the car never would come out of cold start fueling map.

I appreciate their willingness to help, love their S54 hardware, but they clearly are limited in this area.

I feel that many SC companies should just drop their software component of the price and charge less for the kit as a hardware only option. I think $4000 for the hardware is a good price. Hardware only - no software and no warranty other than on the hardware. You'd actually sell some kits.

I'm finding it hard to swallow that I am supposed to pay for a crappy tune and for getting my warranty voided the moment I get a better tune.

I feel that many SC companies should just drop their software component of the price and charge less for the kit as a hardware only option. I think $4000 for the hardware is a good price. Hardware only - no software and no warranty other than on the hardware. You'd actually sell some kits.

I'm finding it hard to swallow that I am supposed to pay for a crappy tune and for getting my warranty voided the moment I get a better tune.

That's an interesting point and I really like it. It would eat into their inflated margins though.